Why?
by trekker4life
Summary: Songfic. Naraku may not stand a chance against Inuyasha and Co. in the final battle, but that doesn't mean he'll go down quietly. He's taking someone with him... InuKag
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi all! **_

**_I know I should update 'The Resolution', but I have MAJOR writer's block for the second chapter – both my ideas and my muse have gone 'poof'! Not good. I promise, though, as soon as they return, (and I get the time to type it up – school will probably have started again by the time I can post this.) I will post it. In the meantime, enjoy this little ditty. It'll be 3 chapters max, probably more like 2. Or I may leave it as a one-shot, don't know at the moment. _**

**_This is to D.H.T.'s 'Why', which is one of my fave songs right now (BTW – anything in the song lyrics that's in parentheses is an echo.). It is a deathfic, but it might not stay that way. Anyway, have fun and remember to R&R!_**

_**trekker4life**_

**Why?**

**- Chapter 1**

_(Torn away without good-bye)_

Today marked two weeks.

Two weeks since the worst day of Inuyasha's life…

_Dark outside early in the morning_

_In the cold standing on my own_

Winter had fully set in the week before, and yet Inuyasha was still sitting in the Goshinboku, snow all around yet none on him because of the protection of its branches. Staring out the falling snow, he fiddled with the small crystal orb in his pocket.

_I feel lost_

_Don't know where I'm going_

_Without you, I'm all alone_

It was the only thing left of hers; the only thing he could keep with him – though what he truly wanted was the crystal's owner, but that was impossible now. Inuyasha had barely moved from his spot on the branch since that day a fortnight ago. Shippou was the only who had gotten him to eat anything, though it was much less, and eaten at a much slower pace, than normal.

_(Without you, I'm all alone)_

The others watched him, the sadness in their hearts weighing them down severely, but the hanyou's spirit seemed to have been broken by that event. His mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts and questions, but a few kept returning to the forefront – "Why? Why would you do that for us? For me?"

_Where are you and kami why'd you leave me_

_You were the one to fill my life_

He had relived the events of that day countless times in the last two weeks, but he went over them again anyway, trying to see if he missed something, anything, that would give him a clue as to what passed through her mind when she destroyed Naraku…

_**Flashback**_

The gang was in a fight with Naraku, only this was anything but their usual fight. This was _it_, the big shebang, winner-take-all. Inuyasha and the others had found the last shard; thanks to Kouga turning his over to Kagome, the only piece left to collect was the hunk that Naraku had.

The fight wasn't going so well for our heroes. Miroku was unable to use his kazanna due to the presence of the Samyiosho **_(A/N – I know that's not how you spell it, but it was the closest I could come without re-watching the movies again.)_** and having to rely on his ofuda and his shakujou alone was tiring him a lot more than he'd care to admit.

Kirara had gotten stung several times and the venom was getting to her; she had already reverted to her smaller kitten form to conserve energy. Shippou was trying his best to protect her with his magic tricks and his kitsune bi. Sango was trying to help Miroku, but a bite from an earlier demon had injured her right shoulder and her aim wasn't quite as good with her left arm alone.

_Suddenly I can never see you_

_Torn away without good-bye_

Kagome and Inuyasha were not faring much better; the biggest difference was that instead of fighting the simple, yet dangerous, subordinate demons, they were faced with their master – Naraku. Kagome was nearly out of arrows and miko energy, and even Inuyasha was tired and injured.

Naraku, on the other hand, was only getting stronger. It seemed that every time he injured one of them, he got a little burst of power. Inuyasha had just been thrown to the ground by one of Naraku's tentacles and Kagome was helping him up. "You okay?" she asked. Inuyasha, wincing a little at the pain of standing up, said "Keh. I will be once this bastard is gone for good."

At that, Naraku sent out a vicious looking barbed tentacle toward Inuyasha and Kagome, intent on crushing them. It forced them to dive in opposite directions. Once Kagome rolled to a stop, she stood up and looked anxiously to see how Inuyasha was doing.

_Why, tell me, why?_

_What I want is another chance to show you_

_That I love you_

_That I need you_

'_Cause I want you by my side_

Inuyasha was standing up as well, but he was facing away from Naraku and thus didn't see the tentacle headed straight for him, sharp and ready to impale him. Reacting solely on instinct, Kagome notched and fired her last remaining arrow, destroying the tentacle before it reached him.

When his **(A/N – kawaii!)** hanyou ears caught the sound of her arrow, Inuyasha turned around and looked toward Kagome just in time to her arrow destroy the tentacle. "Hey, thanks Kago-" He broke off, seeing something right behind her. Because she fired her arrow to save him, she didn't have the time or the weapons to avoid the tentacle Naraku had sent toward her and Inuyasha was too far away to stop it. It stabbed her in the back, going right through her chest to stick out about a foot.

_Why, tell me, why?_

_What I want is another chance to show you_

_That I love you_

_That I need you_

'_Cause I want you by my side_

Naraku rose up on the other end of the tentacle, laughing, the sound of which grated on Inuyasha's ears. "She played right into my hands, or more correctly, _onto_ my tentacle," he said, not being able to resist the one failing of all true villains – the need to gloat. "Based on our past battles, I know that if I attacked you, she would save your worthless life, leaving herself wide open for attack and destruction. Humans are so pathetic and predictable, wouldn't you agree, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was seething by now – _'How dare he harm my Kagome? How dare I let that happen?'_ – but couldn't attack without fear of hurting Kagome, for Naraku had pulled the tentacle with Kagome on it in front of him, creating a most effective shield against Inuyasha. Having finished off the remaining demons, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara had come up to Inuyasha's side and seen what had happened to Kagome. They were speechless, but Inuyasha was not.

"Naraku, put her down right now, you animal!" he yelled. Naraku merely laughed again; then he replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Inuyasha. But are you sure you want me to let her go? For if I do, she will surely die." Inuyasha was _way_ beyond ticked at this point, nearly attacking Miroku when he tapped his shoulder.

_I used to love all the things about you_

_I wish that I could turn back time_

_Your soft touch all over my body_

_Just one thing is on my mind_

"Easy, Inuyasha, it's just me," said Miroku, raising his hands in a placating gesture, "I merely wished to point out a change in Kagome-sama's energy. It is growing stronger; the levels are rising as well." _'What?'_ thought Inuyasha, the fear and sorrow in his heart evident, even in his thoughts, _'Kagome, what are you planning?'_

_Where are you and why did I lose you?_

_You were the one to fill my life_

_Suddenly I can never see you_

_Torn away without good-bye_

_(Torn away without good-bye)_

Kagome, meanwhile, had been keeping busy fighting to breathe and trying to focus the remnants of her miko energy. Unfortunately, she realized that the little bit of miko power she had left wouldn't be enough to fully destroy Naraku. _'Then I guess I don't have a choice,'_ she thought, _'I'm sorry everyone, but this is the only way.'_ Her searching brown eyes caught Inuyasha's sad molten amber ones. _'I'm sorry'_ she thought again, then she gathered the last of her remaining physical strength to mouth the next four words.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

"Kagome!" came the anguished cry of the hanyou. He jumped up, intent on reaching Kagome, but he was stopped and forced back down by a suddenly visible barrier. "What the…?" he said, jumping to try the barrier again, with the same result. Miroku spoke up then. "Inuyasha, this barrier is formed from Kagome-sama's energy! I'm sure of it."

_Why, tell me, why?_

_What I want is another chance to show you_

_That I love you_

_That I need you_

'_Cause I want you by my side_

"She must be trying to protect us," said Sango, struggling to keep a hold on Shippou, for the little kit was trying desperately to get to his adoptive okaa-san. At that moment, Kagome's energy levels hit critical. There was a huge, bright flash of light; a few seconds later, a resounding sonic boom rang out across the battlefield. A collective cry of "_Kagome!_" could be heard even above the noise.

_Why, tell me, why?_

_What I want is another chance to show you_

_That I love you_

_That I need you_

'_Cause I want you_

_By my side_

When the dust cleared and the barrier faded, there was nothing but a field of bare ground with a solitary patch of green grass that the barrier had protected. Miroku was silent, his face unbelieving at what had just transpired, but he placed his arm around Sango. The taijya's eyes were filled with tears; Kirara was on her shoulder looking down at Shippou, who was still in Sango's arms, but no longer trying to escape them, instead he was crying like crazy.

Inuyasha was still staring at where Kagome had last been when a flash caught his eye. He walked over and picked up the object that had caught a ray of sunlight, thus catching his attention. _It was the completed, purified Shikon-no-tama._

_Why, tell me, why?_

_What I want is another chance to show you_

_That I love you_

_That I need you_

'_Cause I want you_

_By my side_

_**End Flashback**_

Yes, that day two weeks ago definitely qualified as the worst day of Inuyasha's life.

**_WHY!_**

**_So, what do you think? Wanna kill me for it? (J/K) Should I continue? I have an idea for a second chapter, but I'm not sure if I'll do it or not. I will if I get ten reviews, 'cause that's more than any of my other chapters. Let me know what you think in a review!_**

_**Oh, and BTW – I have forseen two possible questions about this:**_

_**Why didn't Inuyasha use the Red Tetsusaiga? **_

_**If you know that the woman you love (but haven't told her you love her) is about to sacrifice herself to protect you and destroy your nemesis, would you think about using a sword? I didn't think so! **_

_**How come Miroku didn't check to see if his kazanna was gone after Naraku was destroyed?**_

_**If you just saw the girl you've come to think of as your sister and friend sacrifice herself to destroy the bane of so many's existence, whether or not the hole in your hand was gone would be the last thing on your mind, right?**_

_**One more thing, in case you couldn't tell, the crystal orb from the beginning was the Shikon. I also changed the word 'god' in the song to the Japanese 'kami' to fit the story a little better.**_

_**Here's a quick glossary if you need it:**_

_**Goshinboku – Sacred Tree**_

_**Hanyou – half-demon**_

_**Samiyosho – Naraku's poison wasps**_

_**Ofuda – sacred sutras**_

_**Shakujou – Miroku's staff**_

_**Kitsune/kit – fox**_

_**Bi – fire**_

_**Miko – priestess**_

_**Kawaii – cute (I put that in there because Inuyasha's dog ears are absolutely adorable!)**_

_**-sama – an honorific equivalent to calling someone a lord or a lady (i.e. Lady Kagome, Lord Monk, etc.)**_

_**Okaa-san – mother**_

_**Taijya – demon exterminator**_

_**Shikon-no-tama – Jewel of Four Souls**_

_**Kami – god or goddess**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi again!**_

_**WOW! I can't believe the response I've gotten for this story! I got, like, 10 reviews in just a few hours of posting the story, so either you guys were just waiting for something new of mine, or you were REALLY bored, or there really weren't any other good fics posted at the time. **_

**_Regardless of your reason, I am really glad that you have reviewed. I apologize for the long delay in getting the second chapter out – it's called spring semester of college started up! LOL I really have my plate full – 17 credits at school, 16-24+ hours working, plus church (which is also my work), and babysitting (about 6-7 times over the span of 3 weeks), and, and, and…. LOL Anyway, hopefully you enjoy this new chap. Maybe I'll redeem myself for the first one…. Dai stiho!_**

_**Trekker4life**_

_**P.S. Bear with me as I try to find a symbol to use for a page/scene break/separator, so if you guys could let me know if they work in your review, that'd be great! Thanks!**_

**_P.P.S. Oh, and I've had to pull some names out of thin air for this chap – like one for Kaede's village and others for my OCs that appear in this (Yay! My first OCs! LOL I'm insane. Ugh.), and they might get a little confusing, so I'll put a little mini-glossary at the end to help. BTW – You might recognize some of those names – if you do, take a guess in a review and I'll let you know if you're right as to where they come from._**

_**Why?**_

_**Chapter 2**_

Kaji was playing on the outskirts of Akiko, his adoptive village. While collecting smooth stones from the silt on the edge of the nearby river, his tanuki-youkai nose caught the scent of human blood. A lot of it. He debated going back to the village and getting his okaa-san, but his natural little boy curious mind got the better of him and he followed the river a bit farther downstream to find the source of the smell.

He found it in the form of a young human woman who had been apparently washed up on the riverbank, probably courtesy of the strong current. She was dressed in the weirdest kimono Kaji had even seen – green and white in color and way too short – but that was secondary to the fact that her outfit was covered in blood.

Her deep black hair was covering her face as she lay on her side. Kaji's sensitive ears could pick up the faint sounding of her breathing and he couldn't smell death on her, at least, not yet. But that would change very quickly if he didn't go get some help. Turning on his heel, he ran back to Akiko as fast as he could, calling for his okaa.

A weird fog surrounded her, blocking out all familiarity with her environment, threatening to lead her astray. Astray from where, she did not know, but she knew that she must get there, somehow. If only this fog wasn't so thick! She blinked her eyes, as if trying to clear them….

As Kaji and his mother looked on, the girl laying on the futon stirred ever so slightly, and her eyes fluttered open. "How are you feeling?" asked the elder woman. "Ngh," answered the girl, "I've definitely been better, but I'm okay. I'm guessing I have you two to thank for that?"

"You actually have my son, Kaji, to thank," said the woman, "He found you washed up on the river bed yesterday. He came and got me; we brought you back here and bandaged you up." Turning her head to look at Kaji, the girl smiled genuinely and thanked him. Then a thought struck her. "Wait a minute, you said he's your _son_? But he's a full-blood tanuki-youkai, and you're a miko," she finished, noting the lady's red and white miko outfit.

"That's right," said the lady, laughing a bit, "He is my adopted son. His parents were killed trying to defend this village from some renegade demons. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Mai, and of course you've already met Kaji." The girl on the futon tried to sit up and felt the large shock of pain shoot through her due to the still-severe wound on her chest. She lay back down and said "My name is Kagome."

"Where do you hail from?"

"Tano village."

"Tano?" Mai was surprised. "That's about 3 days' journey on horseback from here. What are you doing so far from home?"

Kagome shifted a bit to get more comfortable, then began her explanation.

_--- My friends – Inuyasha, a inu-hanyou; Miroku, an houshi; Sango, a taijya; Shippou, a kitsune youkai; and Kirara, a bi-neko youkai – and I were fighting a bastard of a hanyou called Naraku for possession of the Shikon-no-tama. He was putting up quite a fight. We were reaching our limit. I fired an arrow to save Inuyasha, but when I did, I was distracted, and I didn't see one of Naraku's tentacles right behind me. It hit me through the chest and I wasn't able to get off. Inuyasha and the others couldn't attack for fear of hitting me, but Naraku could attack without risk. So, basically, Naraku was going to kill my friends and I couldn't do anything about it. Except one thing. I took what miko energy I had left and formed it into an attack to bring him down. But it wasn't enough, so I had to add my life energy to it. The last thing I remember is taking a small amount of energy and forming a shield around my friends to protect them from the blast. Then I woke up here. --- _

"I've heard of Naraku. Everyone who tries to resist or stand up to him is destroyed, except for this one rag-tag group of demon-slayers. You're telling me you're part of that group? And that you fought Naraku?" Mai said, "And beat him?"

"Yes," answered Kagome simply, "We've been tracking him and the Shikon-no-kakera down for over 3 years now. It feels good to finally be rid of him. I really need to get back home; I don't even know if my barrier worked or not. If it did, my friends are probably worried sick." Kagome tried to get back up suddenly, only to be stopped by the pain in her chest and by Mai.

"You're not going anywhere for about the next 10 days. You just got stabbed straight through the chest, depleted your miko energy, and nearly exhausted your life energy all in a matter of minutes. No matter how powerful he or she is, no human could recover in less time. I'm surprised you even survived the experience itself! After those ten days, as long as you are able to ride a horse without much pain, I will take you to Tano."

"Thank you, Mai," said Kagome, bringing up a hand to try unsuccessfully to stifle a huge yawn. "Go back to sleep, Kagome," Mai said, smiling, "I will wake you in a few hours so you can eat something." Kagome settled back down, nodded, and was fast asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next ten days passed quickly, but not quite fast enough for Kagome's taste. She was anxious to return to the village and see how the others had fared. During that time, however, she became good friends with Mai and Kaji, who reminded her a lot of herself and Shippou. She also met a few of the others in the village, such as Yukito and Ritsuko, a young married couple whom she learned had helped to care for her while she was unconscious that first day.

Nevertheless, she was still extremely happy when on the evening of the ninth day Mai told her they'd be leaving out the next morning with Kaji, leaving the village in the care of Yukito and Ritsuko. Wearing one of Ritsuko's borrowed kimonos (Mai's were much too short for her), Kagome mounted a beautiful, strong stallion, while Mai and Kaji rode on a chestnut mare. Kagome noticed how pale her horse's coat was: such a light silver it was almost white. _Hmm_, she thought, _that's almost the same color as Inuyasha's hair. I hope he's okay... _

The trip back was rather uneventful; the few demons stupid enough to try to attack them taken down with a sacred arrow or two from either Mai or Kagome, who had borrowed a set from one of the men in the village. Kagome's heart soared as, on the afternoon of the third day, they came to the edge of Inuyasha's Forest. "Come on! We're almost there!" she shouted, urging her horse faster; Mai did the same behind her.

Coming to the outskirts of town, Kagome reigned in her horse, with Mai following suit. Dismounting, she turned to the other miko. "Mai, if you ask around for a man named Eriol, he can help you find a place to stay the night before you head back to Akiko. I would help you myself, but I need to check on my friends."

"Understandable, Kagome. Thank you. Now, go see to your friends."

"Right." Kagome turned to go further into the village, but Mai's voice stopped her. "Oh, and one more thing – when you see Inuyasha, be sure to tell him how you feel, okay?" Kagome blushed and nodded; then headed straight for Kaede's hut.

Kagome stopped at the bamboo curtain entrance, uncertain as to what she would be facing when she stepped inside.

"Sango! Lemme go!"

Shippou's voice rang out from the hut, startling Kagome. She froze, waiting to hear what he was hollering about before entering. "Sango! Why don't you believe me? Come on, I'm the one with a demon nose, here! I know I smell her! Just let me go and I'll go get her and bring her back!" Kagome stood there, bewildered. Who was he yelling about? Her answer came in Sango's reply. "Shippou, I believe you, but you've smelt her before these past two weeks and it hasn't turned out to actually be her!"

"Sango! This time her scent's much stronger than the other times, it's gotta be her! It's just gotta be!" Hearing the desperate plea in Shippou's voice was too much for Kagome and she stepped inside. The hut had only three occupants at the time: Sango, Shippou, and Kirara; the only one to notice Kagome at first was Kirara, who let out a _very_ happy "mew" and jumped on her shoulder to nuzzle her check.

Shippou and Sango froze. They looked up to see Kagome standing there with an obviously happy Kirara on her shoulder. "Kagome!" cried Shippou, who launched himself at her. She caught him in her arms easily and held him tight. "See, Sango! I told you it was her! I told you!" he cried, still sobbing happily in Kagome's arms. Kagome looked up at Sango and smiled. "Heh, it's me." Sango was in shock. "How? There's no way. Just no way this could be real."

"Sango, it's me, I swear," said Kagome, "You want proof? How about this – the night before we fought Naraku you and I were at the hot-springs and you told me that you actually liked a certain lecherous hou-" That was all it took, for the next thing to happen was a loud squeal from Sango and she tackled, er, hugged, Kagome – _hard_.

Sango's scream caught the attention of Miroku and Kaede, who had been attending to a family nearby. They ran into the hut. "Sango," called Miroku, "What's wrong?" Sango, practically jumping up and down with excitement, met him at the door.

"Oh, Miroku! Nothing's wrong! Something's finally _right_!"

"Sango, what are you talking about?" Her behavior was explained to Miroku and Kaede when she moved out of the way and revealed the person still holding Shippou and Kirara.

"_Kagome!_" was their simultaneous cry, both of shock and of joy. The fact that Sango, Shippou, and Kirara all believed it was Kagome and that neither Miroku nor Kaede could sense anything evil about her aura was all they needed to believe it for themselves. Kagome nearly disappeared beneath the flurry of hugs from Miroku and Kaede, as well as renewed hugs from the others.

"Hahaha, guys, that's enough! I need to breathe, ya know!" cried Kagome, still laughing and crying right along with everyone else. The others backed off a bit, allowing Kagome a better look around the modest hut. _Sango, Shippou, Miroku, Kirara, Kaede, wait_, she thought, _where's Inuyasha?_ "Uh, guys, not that I'm not happy to see you or anything, but where's Inuyasha? He should have caught my scent by now."

This question brought on a sea of answers from Miroku, Sango, and Shippou; only one problem though: they were all talking at the same time.

"You have to understand -"

"He-we thought you were -"

"Took him two weeks -"

"The well -"

"Hasn't been the same -"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec!" said Kagome, raising her voice slightly to be heard over their voices and lowering it again once they stopped, "Now, one at a time, tell me what happened and where is Inuyasha?" Miroku and Shippou both looked at Sango with expressions that clearly said, "You tell her, I don't wanna." Sango took a deep breath, and then told Kagome what had happened while she was gone.

"After the dust cleared right after the blast that destroyed Naraku, we saw that the battlefield had been leveled – all except for the area protected by your shield and the jewel was just lying on the ground where Naraku had been. The past two weeks have been spent healing our injuries from the battle. Inuyasha just hasn't been the same since then, Kagome; just moping about, not doing much of anything. I mean, he hasn't picked a fight with Shippou _once_ in _two_ weeks!" she said, with an incredulous look on her face, even though she had seen it for herself. Then she remembered something else. "Oh…my…gosh, _youhavetogostophim_!"

Kagome was a bit startled at Sango's exclamation. "Stop him from what?" Miroku picked up the story from there. "You must remember, as far as we knew, you had been killed along with Naraku. He left a few minutes before you arrived to travel through the well in order to deliver news of your fate to your family. It took him these two weeks to gather enough courage to do that, so if you hurry, you still might be able to catch him."

Kagome's eyes had slowly widened throughout Miroku's explanation and she passed Shippou and Kirara to Sango. Stepping to the door, she called back, "I'll be back soon, with Inuyasha!" then walked out of the hut and nearly ran the entire way to the Bone-Eater's Well.

Kagome finally stopped at the edge of the clearing that housed the well, leaning against a tree for support. She had gained plenty of endurance over the last few years while traveling in the Feudal Era, but her wounds hadn't healed completely yet and that combined with having been more or less bedridden for most of the last two weeks had depleted her stamina.

She looked up towards the well to see Inuyasha standing over it, hands on the edge. He was muttering to himself, and seeing as how she was downwind of him, she could hear every word he said while he didn't immediately notice her presence.

"Why! That's all I want to know. Dammit, Kagome! Why did you have to go and martyr yourself like that? Did you ever stop to think about what we would be like without you? Miroku hasn't groped anyone – even Sango! – in weeks! He's been too busy comforting her – Sango's been trying to keep up a brave face for Shippou, but I've heard her at night; she cries her eyes out in Miroku's arms.

"Shippou? He's…. Not himself. Hasn't pulled any pranks or called me idiot or stupid or anything. Just sits there, not doing much of anything. Kirara isn't much better, except that she tries to cheer up Sango, and it works – to a point. Kaede was hit hard by the news, too. She seems to be moving slower lately, still going about her duties, but without as much enjoyment as she used to.

"And me…. Did you ever think about me? I admit, I didn't give you much reason to, but still…. I couldn't hear what you said, but I could read your lips, just before the explosion."

Kagome gasped at this. _He knows what I said? I was kind of hoping he wouldn't have noticed, considering what his decision must be about the jewel and the future..._ Despite what she thought about that, she continued listen as she stepped away from the tree and walked towards him.

"Kagome…. I wish you were here or at least that the jewel hadn't been purified so I could wish you back. I'd do it in a heartbeat, you know that?"

Kagome froze. _What? He'd really do that? No, he loves _her_, he can't possibly care for me as more than a companion…eh, can he?_ She regained her composure and crossed the last few feet between them in a couple of steps. "Inuyasha."

"Keh, great, now see what you've done to me? I'm hearing things!" Slightly annoyed that he didn't even turn around at her call, she placed her hand on his shoulder and said, a bit more forcefully, "_Inuyasha_." His head snapped up, and he whipped around to face her. "K-Kagome?"

"It's me, Inuyasha." He backed up until his calves hit the well, shaking his head the entire way, sending his silver hair flying. "No, you can't be – she's gone!" Kagome took a step toward him. "Inuyasha, it _is_ me! Miroku and the others believe me, what do I have to do to have you do the same?"

Then she got an idea and smiled. "Inuyasha, stay right there, 'kay?" she said. Taking about five steps backwards to get out of the danger zone, she said "Sit boy!" He didn't have any time to react as the rosary's spell took hold and pulled him down into his characteristic face-plant. Kagome just stood back, waiting for his reaction.

It came sooner than she expected; later it would occur to her that perhaps this meant that he was becoming used to the affects of the rosary, but at the moment, that was the furthest thing from her mind….

__

_**Well, there you go…**_

_**Ok, this fic is turning out to take a lot longer than I thought it would – it's more like about 4-5 chaps instead of 3 now. The story itself in this chap alone was 7 pages on MS Word. 'Course, my AN at the beginning was a page in and of itself, but…. **_

_**Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll try to get the third chap out soon. Oh, and I forgot to mention that while I do read the manga, most of my Inuyasha experience comes from the show and movies – so don't hate me for that. And I forgot a disclaimer. Let's see, how can I put this…. Me no own Inu, you happy? LOL **_

_**Trekker4life**_

_**P.S. And about my OCs – the only names that are my own creation (to my knowledge) are the villages, Tano and Akiko. The rest are from 3 other anime – can you guess which ones?**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi all!**_

_**Wow! Thanks for another great response! I got called evil by one reviewer for making you guys wait then leaving it at such a cliffie! But, like I said back in the reply, my friends already think I'm evil for stuff worse than that, so…. **_

_**Anyway, here's the third chap of Why?. I hope you'll like it. Oh, and here's who my OC's are, and where their names came from – **_

_**Mai – Tano's headmistress/priestess – YuGiOh**_

_**Kaji – Mai's tanuki (raccoon) youkai adopted son – Neon Genesis Evangelion**_

_**Yukito – husband of young couple in Tano – Card Captor Sakura**_

_**Ritsuko – wife of young couple in Tano – Neon Genesis Evangelion**_

_**Eriol – Akiko headman/2IC under Kaede – Card Captor Sakura**_

_**Oh, and if any of you found my comment about Mai's kimono's being too short for Kagome odd (if you think about the length of her school skirt…), I thought of it this way – Kagome's supposedly about 5'3" and I picture Mai about 4'11"-5"even, so the proportions would be way off. I think the Ritsuko from Neon Genesis Evangelion is taller than 5'3", but for this, she's the same height as Kagome. **_

**_Ok, enough babbling – on to the fic!_**

"**_Fell deeds, awake! Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red dawn! Forth Eorlingas!"_**

**_Uh, heheh, sorry 'bout that…. No earthly idea why I just put that in there. If any of you recognized that, let me know, 'cause I'm just curious to know if anyone did. (Hint: Take a look at the last two words – they should give it away….)_**

_**Trekker4life**_

**Why?**

**Chapter 3**

As soon as the spell wore off, Inuyasha leapt up and started his usual post-'osuwari' rant. "Oi, wench!" he roared, "What the hell was that fo-" He stopped, blinked, then spoke again. "K-Kagome?" She smiled at him and nodded. The relief and joy was so evident on his face that it was hard to look at. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Oh kami, it is you…."

The next thing she knew, she was enveloped by a sea of red fire-rat cloth. _Inuyasha?_ she thought, a little startled at the fierceness of the hug. All of a sudden, the strength in their legs gave out and sent them both to their knees on the ground. The hug was very reminiscent of when Inuyasha had first hugged Kagome on this same spot. **(A/N: See "Go Home to Your Own Time, Kagome!")** So reminiscent, in fact, that she just had to ask. She pulled back from him just enough to look at his face and said, a smile on her face all the while, "Uh, you're not gonna throw me down a well now, are you?"

Inuyasha met her gaze and half-smiled, half-scowled, his eyes shining brightly. "No, baka wench. But I will reconsider that decision if you decide to do anything like that _ever_ again…." He trailed off as his voice cracked and he renewed the hug. Needless to say, Kagome was a little worried by this point. Inuyasha just wasn't acting like himself. "Inuyasha?" she asked, a little hesitant, unsure as to how to approach him about this. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Tell me, please. Come on."

Inuyasha raised his head from where it had been anchored to her shoulder and made a weird little sound: an odd little mix of a laugh, a scoff, and a sniffle all rolled into one. He pulled back far enough to look at her and said, "Keh, nosy wench. If I didn't already know it was you, I definitely would now. Only you are that inquisitive." Kagome blushed. Inuyasha thought for a second, then amended his statement. "Well… you _and_ Shippou." That remark got Kagome to giggle. "Kami, I've missed your laugh," said Inuyasha, keeping his arms around her.

That sentence stopped Kagome's light giggles cold. _He what?_ thought Kagome. "Kagome, can I ask you a question? Two, actually," he said, changing the subject abruptly. She was still pondering his previous statement and what it could mean; thus, she could only nod in response. _Ok, here goes,_ he thought. "I know you heard some of what I said while I was standing at the well, but exactly how _much_ did you hear?" he asked, trying not to lose his nerve. Kagome snapped out of her daze and answered him. "Uh, I came up when you were yelling at me for my decision to destroy Naraku."

Inuyasha snorted a bit. "So you heard all of it, huh?" She nodded and he continued. "Ok, now for my second question. Since you heard all of what I said, you know that I heard what you said just before the explosion. What I want to know is this: did you mean it? Did you mean what you said, or was it just a heat of the moment thing?" It took Kagome a heart-stopping second (to Inuyasha) to digest his question, but she replied without hesitation.

"Yeah, I did. I meant every word."

Surprised, yet also somehow not, Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak once again, but something caught his eye behind Kagome. "Inuyasha?" she said, then turned her head and upper body around to look at what had so captivated his attention.

Her heart sank when she saw the shinidama-chuu **(A/N: Gomen if that's the wrong spelling)** hovering over the tops of the trees behind her. Kikyou appeared at the edge of the forest as her soul skimmers deposited yet another young woman's soul into her cold molded clay body **(A/N: also known as the dead clay pot! Again, gomen, sorry, but I don't like Kikyou at all.)**. As one, considering the grip his arms still had around her, Inuyasha and Kagome stood and turned so both were facing the undead miko.

"Inuyasha," said the other priestess, "It is time." Inuyasha felt Kagome stiffen in his embrace at Kikyou's words and he was pretty sure why, but even though, he wanted to hear the words from Kikyou herself. "Time?" he repeated, "Time for what, Kikyou?" Her cold eyes flashed hot for the briefest of seconds before slipping back behind their usual mask. "You know very well 'what for', Inuyasha. Naraku is gone and I have given you two weeks to settle your affairs here on this earth – now it is time for you to accompany me to hell."

At these words, Kagome stiffened even more in Inuyasha's arms, causing him to look at her. "Kagome?" he questioned. He felt her small hands reach up around his neck to fiddle with something. A weight was lifted off his neck and his sensitive ears caught a small tinkling sound as her hands came away, taking both the kodotama rosary and the golden locket with them. "Ka-Kagome? What're you doin'?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly, scared at the loss of contact with his connections to her. Kagome just kept her head down, bangs covering her eyes, and brought her hands to her chest as she shrugged out of his grasp. _Kagome…_he thought.

Kagome surprised herself by keeping her voice steady as a rock while she explained herself to Inuyasha. "Like I said, I meant _every single word_, and all I want, all I have ever wanted, is for you to live – but most of all, for you to be happy. If going with her is what you truly want, if it's what will truly make you happy, then…I won't stop you. Hell, I'll even help you, if that's what you want. But still, I ask only one thing. Don't forget us…don't forget me…please."

The quiet, sad resignation in her voice was almost too much for Inuyasha. He took a step toward her, intent on taking her in his arms and comforting her, on swearing never to leave her again, on declaring his love for her after denying it for so many years, but the voice of a forgotten Kikyou stopped him in his tracks. "Inuyasha," she said, "Are you quite finished? We must be going." She turned to walk away, not looking back to see if he would follow – as if she was expecting him to come – but she froze when she heard his voice.

"No."

"What?" she said, unbelief creeping into her voice. "I said, no, Kikyou," Inuyasha repeated, "I'm not going to hell with you." She blinked; then she went to her fall-back plan – attack his honour. "You made a promise to me!" "Wrong, Kikyou!" he snapped, startling both her and Kagome. He continued, "I made a promise to the woman – no, the person – I thought you were. But now I'm starting to realize that even _if_ you ever were that person, you _definitely_ aren't now!" Inuyasha's voice had been steadily rising throughout his 'conversation' with Kikyou; now he took a moment to calm down and lower it to a more normal level.

"Kikyou, I will put this as simply as I can. I won't kill you – regardless of what you may have done, some part of me still cares for you in someway – but I am never…going…to…hell…with…you!"

Kikyou just stared at him in shock. Which was about all Kagome could do as well. "Inuyasha," said Kikyou, "What do you expect me to do?" Inuyasha shrugged, "I dunno, and to be truly honest, I really don't give a rip, but the way I see it, you have two choices: on the one hand you can go to hell – which, by the way, is where you belong – on your own and rest in peace. Or on the other hand, you can continue to wander the earth and absorb the souls of dead women. If you choose to do the latter, I suggest going back to that village near Mount Hakurei. The children there seemed to like you and it's far enough away to fulfill my only request."

She looked at him and asked the obvious question. "And what is that?" He just looked at her and replied, "That you _never come near us or anyone we know again_ for as long as you walk this earth. Deal?" Kikyou looked at him, deciding. She nodded, turned on her heel, and was caught up by her soul collectors and carried off.

After Kikyou's abrupt departure, Inuyasha turned to a rather stunned Kagome **(A/N: wouldn't you be?)** and waved a hand in front of her face to get her attention. "Hello? Anyone home?" he said, teasing. "Yes, I'm here," she said, a bit irritably, then her expression and voice turned serious. "Inuyasha, do you realize what you just did?" "Yes," he said, taking her in his arms once again, "It's something I should have done long ago. Kagome, I know you meant what you said, but can you say it again? Please?" Hearing him say please combined with those kawaii fuzzy dog ears was enough to persuade her to give in. "Ok, Inuyasha. I lo-" "Wait," he interrupted, and walked over to the well, holding her hand to get her to follow.

They sat down next to the well with Kagome's right side and Inuyasha's left against it. Kagome looked up into Inuyasha's beautiful molten gold eyes and said with all her heart, "I love you, Inuyasha." He was so happy, hearing her say that. "Kagome, I want to tell you something," he said, "But can you do something for me first?" Kagome was a little confused at his request, but nodded her head. "Ok, what is it?" "Can you put that rosary and locket back on!" he asked quickly, rubbing his neck as he did so, "It just feels too weird to not be wearing them…." Kagome just smiled, lifted the said objects in her hands, and did what was requested of her. "Ok, now what did you want to tell me?" she asked.

He took a deep breath before answering. He knew how she felt, but he was still unsure. He _was_ a hanyou, after all. Hanyou are supposed to be despised by youkai, feared by ningen, and yet this girl did neither of those. She took him as he was – as himself, as Inuyasha, neither human nor youkai, but in his own place. She managed to worm her way into his heart, past the defenses years of rejection and harm from both sides of his heritage had built up. _If I don't say something know, I never will. Here goes…everything._

"Kagome, I'm not exactly sure how to say this, but…" He trailed off, still unsure; he wasn't looking at her, but down at his lap, where his hands were clenched into fists. Kagome placed her hands on his, "What are you trying to say?" Inuyasha looked up at her, the emotions on his face indescribable. "What I'm trying to say is that, well, I…" He took another deep breath, then finished his thought in a rush. "_Iloveyoutoo,Kagome._"

_What? Did he really just say that?_ she thought, _I know he just sent Kikyou on her way, but still…_ "What did you say? You said it too quick; I couldn't understand you," she said, still a bit in shock. Inuyasha, still looking her directly in the eyes, repeated himself, only a little slower this time. "I love you too, Kagome. I have for a long time, I've just been too much of an ass to let myself realize it."

Kagome's face went from a slightly confused, slightly unbelieving outlook to one of complete joy in a split second. The change caught Inuyasha a bit off guard. "Whaa?" was the one the sound heard from him as she launched herself at him, tackling him in a gigantic hug and knocking him onto his back.

"Inuyasha," she said, her voice slightly muffled because her face was buried in the front of his haori, "You have _no_ idea how long I've waited for you to say that…." Inuyasha smiled a bit to himself, "Probably about as long as I've tried to deny it." "Ha. Probably," she said, then raised her head to look at him as he sat up, taking her with him. He opened his mouth to ask her how she survived when his nose caught the scent of her blood.

"Kagome, you're bleeding!" he cried, pushing her back just a bit to check her over for injuries. "Huh?" she said; then as understanding dawned, she raised a hand to her chest where it was bandaged. Sure enough, the wound had re-opened and soaked through the bandages. Inuyasha stood up with his arms still around Kagome, not wanting to let go. "C'mon, let's go back to the village and get you bandaged back up."

Half-way to the village, Kagome stumbled and Inuyasha caught her. "Are you okay, Kagome?" Panting slightly, she looked up at him, "Yeah, I'm alright." After he finished helping her to her feet and started to walk back, she added under her breath, "For now." A bit farther along, Kagome started to slow down until she finally stopped. Inuyasha, noticing this, turned and walked back to her. "Kagome?"

Kagome was feeling, well, just plain crappy would be a good way to put it. Her vision was swimming, her head was killing her, the wound in her chest was aching and felt like it was on fire, and her legs felt like jelly. She heard Inuyasha call her name, but it sounded like it was coming from a mile away. She looked up at him. "Inuyasha," she said; her voice sounded faint, even to her own ears – she could only imagine what it sounded like to his. The jelly that was her legs finally dissolved and she collapsed, falling into his suddenly outstretched arms.

_Kami, what in the world is going on?_ thought Inuyasha, gently shifting her in his arms to carry her bridal-style, _She was fine just a few minutes ago. Until…her wound reopened! Something must have gotten in it, infected it – that's gotta be it!_ Kagome moaned a little, bringing Inuyasha's attention back to her. "Kagome?" he asked, "Are you alright? No, wait, that's a stupid question. You wouldn't have collapsed if you were alright." She smiled, albeit weakly. "No, I'll be okay as soon as I get back to the village. The miko from the village that I've been at for the last two weeks has a salve that will take care of this." "You sound confident in her abilities," remarked Inuyasha, as he continued to walk back to the village with her still in his arms.

"Yeah," said Kagome, "This has happened before. It's because of the miasma from Naraku's tentacle. It reacted with the miko powers in my blood to become something like a poison. If it's entirely contained in my body – whether by a scab or a bandage – it seems to be inert, but if it's exposed to air…" Inuyasha got the idea. "We're almost there, so we'll get you back to normal soon," he said. "We have to find Eriol first," she said, "I told the other miko – her name's Mai – to find him so he could help her find a room for the night. Once we find him, we find her." Inuyasha nodded, then froze slightly as she snuggled against him a little. After a second, though, he relaxed. He liked this feeling, he decided, the feeling of her next to him. It felt…so…_right_ somehow, like it was how everything was supposed to be.

"Mmm, Inuyasha," she said. "Yah, Kagome," he replied. "Are we there yet?"

He laughed out loud. "Are you that eager to be rid of me?" he asked, only half-joking. She smiled brightly. "No, of course not. It's just this blood on my shirt and skin is starting to dry and it's annoying the hell out of me." He laughed again. It was such a wonderful sound – a true laugh, not a scoff like he used on the battlefields, a true laugh of amusement. Kagome decided she wanted to try and keep him laughing as much as possible for as long as she lived. "Kagome, I think you've been hanging around me WAAY too long – my language is rubbing off on you." "And you consider this a bad thing?" "Well, no, not exactly…."

By this time they had reached the village and Kaede's hut. Stepping inside, they found not only their waiting friends, but also Mai and Kaji, who had found the others and already gotten acquainted with them. "Mai," said Kagome, a bit sheepishly, "I hate to bother you again, but my wound has re-opened – can you bandage it again? Please?" Mai sighed, "Again? What's this make, Kagome? 4, 5 times?" "I know, I know, but it's not my fault. I really didn't notice I had done it this time," said Kagome, defending herself. "Ok," said Mai, "Now, all you boys, shoo! Go on now, GIT!"

Inuyasha gently laid Kagome down on the futon; then he, Miroku, Shippou, and Kaji skedaddled on right outta there. Once it was just the females inside the hut, Kagome gingerly removed her shirt to allow Mai access to the bloodied bandage on her chest. "Kagome, you really did a number on it this time," said Mai, shaking her head as she removed the old bandage, "What did you do, tackle someone?" Kagome nearly choked when Mai said that; she covered it up with a coughing fit, garnering her odd looks from the others in the hut. "Kagome?" questioned Sango, "What _did_ happen with you and Inuyasha?" "Aye," chimed in Kaede, "Ye two's countenance was considerably happier when ye returned. What happened to cause such a change?"

Kagome blushed, then winced as Mai placed the homemade salve on the wound. "Damn, I forgot how much that stuff stings when the wound's open," she said, then she began to answer the questions of Sango and Kaede. "Well, I found him at the well just before he would have gone through. He didn't realize I was there and was talking aloud. The stuff he was saying was directed at me – stuff about your reactions to what I did by destroying Naraku. Once I managed to make him realize it was me, he…."

"He what?" cried Sango, "Tell us!" Kagome smiled at Sango's anxiousness and answered. "Well, he hugged me. He hugged me and as good as told me that he missed me. But then, _she_ had to show up…." "She didn't…. No, of course she would!" spouted Sango, who had never liked Kikyou, "Damn, she's such a bi-"

"Uh, excuse me." All heads turned in Mai's direction. "I hate to interrupt, but two things: first, Kagome, I'm done. And second, who in the world are you talking about?" Kagome fished around in her bag for a spare shirt while Sango explained the whole Kagome-Inuyasha-Kikyou situation to Mai. Mai's eyes just got narrower and narrower as Sango talked. Kagome finished replacing her shirt and turned back to the others.

"Ok, so I understand about that whole situation now, Kagome," said Mai, "Please, continue." Kagome did so. "She had come to take Inuyasha down to hell with her. But something happened that surprised me." A resounding cry of "WHAT?" was all Kagome could here when she didn't continue right away. "He said 'No.' He didn't go to hell with her!" she finished this last bit with a huge smile on her face. "Really?" said Sango, "That's wonderful!" Kagome smiled, "But that's not all. He told me something after she left. He told me that he loved me. He actually loves me!"

Sango's squeal could be heard throughout the village. Inuyasha, Shippou, and Kaji nearly put their hands over their ears from the volume.

****

"So, tell me! Did you tell him how much you love him in return!" asked Sango quickly. "Oh, of course I did!" said Kagome, "I'm not crazy. But right after that, my wound reopened and we had to return. So, that's it." "Kagome," said Kaede, "I am happy for ye and for Inuyasha. Ye two have been through so much that ye deserve some happiness in ye lives. Speaking of whom, I will go tell the men-folk that they may return to the hut." With that, she turned and left the hut. "Oh, Kagome," said Sango, turning to her best friend, "I am so glad that Inuyasha finally came to his senses." "So am I," said Kagome, laughing. Mai was just sitting off to the side, not sure how much to join in.

When the men came back in, Mai stood up and said that she would retire to her borrowed hut for the night. "Kaji and I will be leaving early in the morning, so I want us to get some good sleep tonight," she said. "Oh, ok," said Kagome, getting up, "I'll walk you to your hut; I want to talk to you anyway."

They walked outside with Kaji in tow. "I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me," said Kagome, "It really means a lot. You were able to keep me alive so that I could see my friends again. And Inuyasha and I have told each other how we feel. That is more precious to me than just about anything. Thank you." Mai was blushing like crazy by the time Kagome finished; luckily, they had just reached her hut by that time. "Goodnight, Kagome," said Mai, "And you're welcome." Kagome turned to walk back to Kaede's hut. "Goodnight Mai. 'Night Kaji!" "'Night, Kagome!" came his reply.

Kagome returned to Kaede's hut and the others. They prepared for bed themselves and settled in for the night, but Kagome couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned for a couple of hours, then gave up and went looking for Inuyasha.

She found him in his favorite spot – the Goshinboku. "Kagome?" He hopped down to the ground when he caught her scent, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," she said, "I just can't sleep." He looked at her kind of shyly, "Do you want to come up in the branches with me? It usually works for me when I can't sleep." "Ok," she said. He took her in his arms and jumped back into the tree's tall branches. He settled down on one with her in front of him with her back to him and his arms around her waist.

"Hey, Inuyasha," said Kagome, "I just realized something. You said that you come up here when you can't sleep. But you're up here so much – what keeps you up?" He buried his nose in her hair and thought a second before he answered. "Worries. Fears." She turned her head to look at him. "About what?" "Usually about what had happened during a recent battle if you had gotten hurt. Or kidnapped. Or something. I am terrified of losing you, Kagome." She looked into his eyes and smiled, "Well then, it's a good thing you already have me, huh?" He returned her gaze and smiled back, "Yeah, I'd say that's a very good thing."

She snuggled back down next to him and, in minutes, was fast asleep. Inuyasha watched her sleeping form for a few minutes before following her example.

**_Wow, nine pages long…. So, what'd ya think? And before you ask, no, it's not over – not by a long shot. I still have two, possibly three, chapters to go. Regardless of the number of remaining chapters, the last one will be a song-chap. It's a song I've been dying to do a fanfic to ever since I first heard it. But you'll have to wait until I post the chap to find out the song, 'cause I'm not telling…. _**

_**Mai and Kaji and the rest of my OCs probably won't reappear after this because they aren't necessary. The rest of this mainly focuses on Inuyasha and Kagome, but it does have some MirSan in the last two chaps.**_

_**I know I probably fudged the distance between the well and the village a bit, but it had to be a considerable distance to fit my evil plot purposes. Mwhahahaha! LOL I'm so psycho right now….**_

**_Ok, got a question for you guys – what did you think of my send-off for Kikyou? I REALLY don't like her (hate her is more like it), but I also really don't think Inuyasha could kill her, no matter how nice that would turn out. So I decided to make him indifferent as to her fate on this earth. I also thought that if she decided to remain in the living world, she would need a purpose, and caring for the children from the episodes with Suikotsu from the Shichinintai (Band of Seven for the English dub peoples – not to put them down, 'cause I'm one of them) seemed like the best one._**

_**BTW – since I left Kikyou's fate up in the air, if any of you are Kikyou fans and would like to take it up, feel free to do so. Just contact me through the private message link on my profile page to get my permission first, that's all I ask. **_

**_Ok, another question – this time about betas. From what I've inferred, they're like editors – checking for spelling and grammar errors, continuity, and other things like that. Do the chapters get sent back and forth through email or what? I would assume so, but…. _**

_**I think this author's note's gone on long enough…. Let me know what you think of my new chap in a review, and I'll update as soon as I can. Right now, my only problem is finding the time to type up the chaps. (I usually write VERY rough drafts by hand under the guise of writing notes during my botany class…. : ) Anyway, dai stiho!**_

_**Trekker**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi all!**_

**_Woohoo! School's out! At least, it is for me. Now I can concentrate on my stories a bit more…. Actually, it has been for nearly a month, but I've been too busy planning a shower – I'm maid-of-honor in one of my best friend's wedding – and writer's block…. Anyway, I'll try to make this chap's A/N(s) short, but I do want to say that this is the next to last chapter. The last one might take me a bit to get through, simply because I want to make it REALLY good, and you'll see why after this chap – the plot for the next is practically given away. _**

_**Trekker**_

**_P.S. That quote from the last chap? "Fell deeds awake! Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red dawn! Forth Eorlingas!" That was spoken by King Theoden in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, just before the battle on the Rohan plains. It's sort of a pep-talk line – he says it as he's rallying the soldiers to go fight the Orcs, Southern Men, Oliphants, and other creatures. I really don't know why I put that in there, but I had just finished watching the extended edition of The Two Towers, so that might have something to do with it…._**

_**-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-**_

**Why?**

**Chapter 4**

Several days had passed since Mai and Kaji left to go back to Tano, and tonight was exactly three weeks since they had defeated Naraku. Also, since Kagome's return, Inuyasha hadn't left her side, except for personal reasons – the small lump he had received from a thrown rock when he had initially refused to leave her alone for her usual bath with Sango was a painful enough reminder that she did need _some_ private time – and the same was true of Miroku and Sango.

The mood at dinner was both cheerful and somber at the same time. They were celebrating the three-week anniversary of Naraku's downfall, yet were also reminded of what it nearly cost them, and what it could have cost them without her sacrifice. However, overall it was a happy affair, as if the inhabitants of the village and the heroes just wanted to put the whole bloody mess behind them.

Inuyasha left the party early, not really used to crowds; at least, not used to _happy_ crowds – his forte was dealing mobs, particularly angry mobs. Not too long after, Kagome excused herself as well, saying she was tired and was calling it a night. The others saw through her white lie; it was rather obvious what she was really going to do, considering she had been spending nearly all of her time with a certain hanyou….

Finding Inuyasha was an easy task; he was seated in the Goshinboku, as usual. She walked underneath it and looked up. Inuyasha caught her gaze, jumped down, and, as he had done nearly every night since her return, picked her up and jumped back into position in the Goshinboku.

She settled down against his chest, his head falling on top of hers. _It's amazing how easily something can become a habit_, she mused. "Kagome?" he asked, his voice low. "Yeah?" "What's been bugging you lately?" he said, a bit of concern leaking into his voice. "I've seen you spacing out several times in the last three days and to be honest, it's sorta creepy." Kagome giggled. She could creep out the mighty Inuyasha? The idea would be hilarious if she didn't know that he always spoke the truth around her now; well, tried to, at least.

"You find that funny, wench?" he growled, annoyed. Kagome just smiled; the use of the once offensive term had somehow been caught up in the upheaval of the last three weeks until it was no longer an insult, but rather a pet name of sorts. "Sort of," she said, returning his truthfulness. "It's just I never thought _I'd_ be the one to actually creep you out." He laughed and she felt the vibrations through her entire body. "Yeah, neither did I," he said. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

She sighed, then slowly complied. "Well, I…I want to try to go through the well. In the morning." "Okay," he said slowly. "But you've done that hundreds of times before. Why would it bother you now?" She put her head down. "The jewel's whole," she said simply. Inuyasha furrowed his brow, confused for a moment, then he understood. "You're afraid the jewel won't allow you passage through anymore."

"Yeah," she said. "Or worse, it'll let me through, but only once. One-way trip to the future. But I have to try. I haven't seen my family in three weeks and they're probably freaking out by now." "I understand," he said, turning her around so that she faced him. "And I want to go with you." "But Inuyasha," she said. "What if it's a one-way trip, and you can't get back to this time?"

"I don't care," he said. "I want to be with you, Kagome, no matter what time we're in. This past week has been incredible – I've never been happier – and I never want that to end." He took a deep breath before continuing; lifting her chin with a crooked finger to make sure she was looking at him. "Kagome, will you marry me? Become my mate?"

Kagome's hand flew to her mouth. _Did he just... He did!_ Her heart leapt with joy. "Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, uncertainly. Apparently she had taken a bit too long to respond. She decided to remedy that, immediately. "Of course I will, Inuyasha! Of course I'll be your mate!" Before the words were out of her mouth, her arms were around his neck, her face at his shoulder.

Her reaction evidently caught him off-guard, because they nearly fell out of the tree. "Really?" he asked. "Yes," she said, smiling at him. "Really, truly, I will be – no, I _want_ to be – your wife and mate." "And I'll become _your_ mate and husband," he said, smiling as well. "And you're not getting rid of me anytime soon; that means I'm coming with you to see your family."

Touched by what had just happened and happy beyond belief, Kagome settled back down in Inuyasha's arms, only this time she was laying nearly chest-to-chest with him, instead of chest-to-back. "I love you, you know," he said just after yawning. "Yeah," she said, yawning as well. "I love you too." Not five minutes later, the pair was yet again sound asleep in each other's arms.

_**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**_

The next morning, Inuyasha and Kagome walked in for breakfast an hour after sunrise to find the others already eating. "And what may I ask has you two up so late?" asked Miroku, his typical lecherous grin on his face at the thought – until his was whacked with the edge of Hiraikotsu and the face of Tetsusaiga. A red lump appeared on the side of his head right next to a red handprint – evidently he couldn't keep his hands to himself, even for a few more weeks.

Ignoring the monk's predicament, Kagome grabbed a bowl of porridge and sat down next to Sango, who still hadn't cooled off completely from Miroku's actions. "Hey, Sango," she said, "Do you want to walk down to the river with me to wash up after breakfast?" Sango swallowed the bite in her mouth. "Sure." Once they finished their meals, they grabbed their washing supplies, threatened the guys with 'sits' and Hiraikotsu if they dared to follow – "We need some girl-time!" – then left the hut.

Once they got to river, Sango turned to Kagome. "Okay, spill." Kagome just looked at her. "Huh?" "Spill it! What happened between you and Inuyasha last night?" Kagome had been grinning like crazy while Inuyasha had a self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face all throughout breakfast and it had been driving Miroku and Sango crazy during the entire meal.

"Oh," said Kagome, "Well, first off, you should know that Inuyasha and I are going to try to go through the well around lunch today." "Understandable," said Sango. "But there's something else," Kagome said. Sango just looked at her, the unasked question on her face. Kagome continued. "The well may not open at all or it could be a one way trip." Comprehension dawned on Sango's face. "Oh," was all she could say.

"I almost don't want to go because I may not be able to get back," said Kagome, "But I want to see my family. Besides, what Inuyasha said to me last night more than makes up for the risk, I think." That piqued Sango's interest, big time. "What did he say?" Kagome just grinned again. "Well, he said that he's going with me to the modern era, because he doesn't want to be without me."

Sango's jaw dropped. "Inuyasha – _our_ Inuyasha – said _that_?" Kagome nodded. "And that's not all." "Well, what else?" Kagome laughed at Sango's impatience. "Well, he, he asked me to marry him. And I said yes, of course." Sango squealed with joy. "Oh, Kagome!" she cried. "That's wonderful!" Kagome just smiled. Sango was incredibly happy for her best friend – Inuyasha had waited long enough, too long in her opinion, to decide which miko truly held his heart – and after the events of the final battle, the two of them deserved some happiness.

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippou were the only ones left in the hut – Kaede had already left to make her usual morning rounds – when they heard Sango's squeal. "Sango!" cried Miroku, turning to run out of the hut, only to trip over Inuyasha's proffered foot, reddening his face even further.

"She ain't in trouble, bouzo," said Inuyasha, very calmly. He was standing up, leaning against the wall of the hut, his foot and leg still stuck out slightly to catch Miroku. Tucking his arms further into his haori sleeves, Inuyasha just smirked and said, "Kagome must've told her." "Huh?" said Shippou, who was currently attempting to pull the houshi up from ground; the size difference between the two made this a bit difficult. "Ugh, thanks for the 'trip', Inuyasha," said Miroku, grimacing. "But what must have Kagome told Sango?"

"Keh, only that I proposed to her and she accepted," he said, still in that very un-Inuyasha-like calm. The looks on the faces of Miroku and Shippou were priceless. Silence was the only sound throughout the hut until Shippou burst out "'Bout time! What took you so long!" Inuyasha blinked at his outburst – that was very unexpected coming from little kit. "I'd like to say that I feel the same way, Inuyasha," said Miroku, who was now grinning like the idiot he could be. "It's about time."

"There's a bit of a catch though," said Inuyasha, unfolding his arms and coming over to sit down beside the other two. "Kagome and I will be going through the well to visit her family before lunch, but with the jewel completed, there's no telling how the well will react." Miroku seemed to understand the implied meaning of this statement first. "Ah, so there's a chance the two of you may not return from the modern era." Inuyasha nodded.

"I don't want you two to leave!" cried Shippou. "I want you to stay here with me!" Inuyasha looked at him, eyes softening slightly. _I know, kid, I know._ "Miroku, do me a favor, wouldja?" The monk nodded. "You and Sango look after Shippou if we can't make it back." "Of course, Inuyasha."

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

The girls returned shortly and all too soon the time came for the trip to the future. Kagome and Inuyasha tried to not make a big deal out of it – after all, there really wasn't any reason to not think that the well wouldn't work both ways – but the others came along anyway.

Once they arrived at the well, Kagome turned to Sango. "After we go through, we're going to come right back. If we're not back within an hour or two, most likely the well doesn't work." Sango nodded and opened her arms to catch Shippou as he jumped from Kagome's arms. Kagome walked back over to Inuyasha, who was waiting right next to the well. They said goodbye, Inuyasha put his arm around her waist, then they jumped.

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

When Inuyasha and Kagome entered the well, the time slip opened for them and surrounded them in the familiar blue lights. After crossing over, they looked up to see a wooden roof instead of white clouds and blue sky; they had made it to the modern era. Inuyasha tightened his grip on Kagome, then jumped out of the well into the well-house proper. "Well, we're here. Do you want to try going back?" Kagome looked up at him. "Yeah. It'll drive me crazy if I don't know whether or not the well works both ways."

They turned around and jumped back in the well. Once again, the blue lights swirled around them and when their feet were back on solid ground, they looked up to see an incredibly blue sky instead of a layer of dark brown wood. Kagome relaxed against him in relief. "It worked! The well works! Oh, thank Kami…."

"Kagome!"

They looked up to see a small ball of red fluff falling toward them. Kagome reached up and caught Shippou before Inuyasha had a chance to smack him. "It worked! You're back!" he cried, giving her as big a hug as his little arms could. Kagome laughed right along with him. "Yeah, it did. Hey, can you do me and Inuyasha a favor?" Shippou nodded and Kagome continued. "Tell Miroku, Sango, and Kaede that Inuyasha and I will be back in about a week, 'kay?" "Okay," he said, hopping down from her arms and scrambling back up the sides of the well to wave to them from the top as they jumped up and back down through to the future.

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

Inuyasha and Kagome walked out of the well-house to a bright, sunny afternoon where the shrine grounds were pure white with a coating of as yet untouched snow. Making the first tracks through the snow, they walked to the house and entered through the back door into the kitchen. "Nee-san!" hollered Souta as he came barreling around the corner. "You're home! And Inuyasha-nii-san, too!"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh; they had evidently caught his attention in the middle of dressing – his pants were on as was his belt, but the latter wasn't buckled, and his shirt was only halfway on and backwards to boot. "Hai, Souta," she said, "We're back. But shouldn't you be at school?" Souta looked at her like she was crazy. "Iie, it's Saturday, or did you forget?" Kagome and Inuyasha just looked at each other. "Oh," she said. "I must have lost track of time. Where are mom and gramps?"

Souta had pulled his shirt the rest of the way on, realized it was backwards, and was in the process of turning it around when he answered her. "They're out grocery shopping. Mom thought you would be home any day now, so she wanted to stock up. The snow just finished falling about five minutes ago, and Mom said as soon as it was done I could go over to Hitomi's, so I'm going to leave in a few minutes."

"Ok," said Kagome. "I guess we'll just stay here and rest until they get back. You will be back for dinner, right?" "Yeah," said Souta. "We just have to work out the kinks of a report that's due on Monday. It shouldn't take more than a few hours." By this time he had finished putting on his clothes – the right way – and had grabbed his coat and bookbag. "Alright," said Kagome. "See ya later, Souta." "Yeah," said Inuyasha, speaking for the first time since returning to the modern era. "See ya later, kid."

"Well," said Kagome, turning to Inuyasha. "Looked like we have the house to ourselves for a few hours. What do you want to do? Sleep?" Inuyasha looked at her and gave her his 'puppy-dog/begging' look. "Eat ramen?" he asked hopefully – he had been without his favorite treat for three weeks; they had eaten the last packages the night before the fight seeing as Kagome had been planning on making a trip back right after the battle. One look at his face made her decide to give in – that look hardly ever didn't work – and Kagome just laughed, walked over to the pantry, and pulled down the ramen.

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

When Kagome's mom and grandpa got back, they were greatly happy to see her again. They asked all sorts of questions about what happened, but Kagome said that she'd tell them at dinner so Souta could hear as well. Later that night, dinner had been prepared with an extra bowl of ramen just for Inuyasha – he still hadn't had enough yet – and now they were all sitting around the table to eat. "So, Kagome," said her grandfather. "How come you haven't come home for the past three weeks?"

Kagome nearly choked on her bite of shrimp. "Um, well, you remember how I said that Inuyasha, the others, and I had to keep on fighting this really powerful demon? To destroy him and finish collecting the Shikon-no-kakera?" "Hai, go on," said her mom. "Well," said Kagome, looking at Inuyasha before continuing. "We did it. He's gone and the jewel's whole again."

"That's wonderful, dear," said her mom. "Cool!" said Souta. "_The_ Shikon-no-tama?" questioned her grandfather. "May I see it?" Kagome nodded and pulled the jewel out from underneath the long-sleeved tee she was wearing; she and Inuyasha had both changed into modern day clothes – her, a green shirt and a pair of blue jeans; him, a red shirt **(A/N: I know it's a bit cliché but hey, red looks good on him….)** and a pair of grey sweats – while their feudal clothing was in the wash. The jewel was nearly transparent – a faint trace of white clouded the center – but that merely seemed to enhance the jewel's brightness as proof of its purity.

"Oohh," was all her family could say, her grandfather in the lead. "Kagome," he said, still very much in awe. "I thought you said that nearly the whole jewel was in the possession of this Naraku fellow and was thus tainted." Kagome nodded, keeping one hand on Inuyasha's arm; he had started to growl when the older man had mentioned Naraku's name. "That's right, Gramps."

Her grandfather still looked confused. "But this jewel is so pure…I'm almost afraid to touch it. How can it be that pure if it was so tainted before?" Inuyasha was the one to speak up this time, the pride evident in his voice as the slight frown melted into a smile. "That was all your granddaughter's doing, oyaji," he said, causing said girl to blush and elbow him in the side, resulting in a small "oof" coming from the hanyou.

"Kagome," said her grandfather, now staring at his granddaughter. "You really did this? You really purified the Shikon-no-tama?" At her nod, he continued. "You must have the powers of a priestess, mayhaps inherited from my side of the family. But it is rather odd that your powers would be so strong when their strength in the rest of the family has only decreased for the last five generations." Kagome smiled to herself. _Should I tell them that I'm the reincarnation of the priestess who originally guarded the Shikon-no-tama?_ she thought. _Nah, don't wanna give them an information overload._

She settled for smiling and scooting a bit closer to Inuyasha before answering; she felt Inuyasha's left hand sneak it's way around to rest on her left hip – he was being bold, especially considering he was practically a nervous wreck about telling her family that they wanted their blessing to get married and her mother was sitting right across the table. "Well," she said at last. "It could just be that with all of that fights back ho-, back in the feudal era, that my powers have gotten more of a workout than the others." She sighed nearly imperceptibly at her little slip-up, then continued.

"Anyway, the reason I'm so late in returning is that we were all exhausted and injured to one extent or the other, then we were needed to help with some repairs, so we were delayed. But there's something we need to ask you." She turned to Inuyasha and he took that as his cue. Turning to Kagome's mother, grandfather, and brother, he began to speak.

"Higurashi-san, Higurashi-san, Souta-kun. I have known Kagome now for nearly four years. She means more than anything to me. More than my own life. Last night, I asked her to share the rest of our lives together and marry me. She said yes." Pausing to take a breath and pull Kagome even closer to him, he continued. "I, no, _we_ would both like it very much if you would give us your blessing."

He bowed his head to wait for their reaction and his right hand sought out hers for comfort; she gave it willingly, entwining the fingers of her hand with his. "Inuyasha," said Kagome's mom. His head jerked up to see all four of the Higurashis with a large grin on his or her face. He felt his face begin to smile as well as Kagome's mom continued. "Of course you two have our blessing. But I must say, it certainly took the two of you long enough to do something about those feelings."

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- **

Later that night, Inuyasha and Kagome were settling down for bed upstairs in her room; Kagome's mom had given them permission to sleep in the same bed as long as there were no "marital relations" until after the wedding. Kagome could tell Inuyasha was still in shock. He was facing away from her on the opposite side of the bed, already in his sleeping shorts. Finished with changing into her nightclothes and brushing out the tangles from her hair, she crawled across the bed and started to massage his shoulders.

"Mmm, I was right: you're just a bundle of knots back here. What's got you so tense?" He started to relax as soon as her hands touched his shoulders. "I don't know, 'Gome. I guess I was just worried about what your family would say. I mean, my being married to you would actually make me a part of your family and I wasn't sure what they would think about that…."

Kagome stopped rubbing his shoulders and sat down beside him. "What do you mean? They've been around you for as long as I've known you; they like you." "Still, being around someone or just 'liking' someone is a hell of a lot different than having that person as part of your family." "Oh, Inuyasha," said Kagome softly. She knew he still had doubts about others acceptance of himself simply because of his blood, but that fact that his self-doubt ran deep enough to extend to her family….

"How many times do I have to tell you: my family doesn't care what blood you have or who your parents were, all they care about is that we love each other and will be happy together. And of course, that's true. Now, come on, let's get some sleep." She crawled back over to 'her' side of the bed and cut out her nightstand lamp. She felt the bed dip down towards the middle, the blanket pulled up over them, arms around her shoulders, and knew Inuyasha had settled down for the night.

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

The next week was fairly busy. Kagome's mom wanted the two of them to have a ceremony in the modern era, even if it wasn't the one they would consider to actually 'marry' them, and Kagome agreed, knowing that a legal human marriage would only help in the event of an emergency during a return visit.

The ceremony was a small one, just Kagome, Inuyasha, her family, and the priest, who was an old friend of Kagome's grandfather's and could be trusted to keep both the secret of Inuyasha's existence and his human night, for that was the night of the wedding. Kagome wore her mother's wedding kimono and Inuyasha borrowed her father's; the wedding kiss was a simple peck on the lips.

Later that evening, after dinner had been eaten and cleaned up, Kagome's mom called Inuyasha and Kagome into the living room. Sitting down on the opposite side of the table from her mom and grandfather, Kagome said, "Yeah, mom?" Nudging her father-in-law slightly (he was fascinated by the now-human Inuyasha), her mother replied, "Your grandfather and I have something we would like to give you. But before we do, I assume you two are going to want to make your life in the feudal era and –" She continued on, despite the looks of "How did you know?" on their faces. "Thus these gifts may not be very practical and you may not want them. But we wanted to offer them anyway."

Kagome looked completely lost and Inuyasha even more, so her grandfather took up the explanation. "Kagome," he said, garnering their attention. "I remember how, when you were a little girl, you used to love to play with your grandmother's wedding ring. You loved to pretend you were being proposed to by your stuffed animals." Pausing to laugh at Kagome's blush due to Inuyasha's inquisitive stare, he extended his closed fist toward his granddaughter and continued. "So, if you would like to have them, these are for you and Inuyasha."

Kagome put her hand under her grandfather's just in time to catch two rings when they out of his newly opened hand. Upon closer inspection, she gasped. "Grandpa, these are…I-I don't know what to say." "I know something you can say," said Inuyasha. "What the hell are those things supposed to mean?" Kagome turned to him and explained. "These 'things' are called wedding rings and they belonged to my grandparents. Basically they represent the marriage bond between the husband and wife; they also tell other humans that the married couple is off-limits: neither part can be courted in any way."

Inuyasha nodded in understanding. "So they're the humans' version of a youkai mating mark?" Kagome blushed and nodded. "Okay then," said Inuyasha, reaching over to take the rings from her hand. "Where do they go?" Kagome, a bit startled by his reaction, took the man's ring from his palm and placed it on the third finger of his left hand, talking as she did so. "It goes here because legend says there's a blood vein that runs from this finger directly to the heart. In other words, it connects your heart to whoever has the other ring in the set."

Inuyasha just sat and watched her the entire time; when she was done, he took her left hand in his, and slipped on ladies' ring. Kagome was speechless for a moment, but she wasn't motionless. She grabbed Inuyasha around the neck in a bear hug that was only broken by her grandfather clearing his throat. "Ahem. Kagome, your mother has something to give you as well."

Kagome and Inuyasha broke apart and faced her mother, though Inuyasha kept his arm around her waist. Kagome's mom began to explain her gift to the newly-wed couple. "Kagome, your friends Miroku and Sango are due to be married soon as well, correct?" "Yeah, they were just waiting until we defeated Naraku before they did." Kagome's mom continued her explanation. "Well, you've told me so much about them that I feel like I have another son and daughter, so even though I have no idea if these would be practical in their line of work, I want to give your father's and my wedding rings to you to give to them as a wedding gift from us."

She handed Kagome a small grey box with the rings inside. Kagome and Inuyasha were both near speechless. Kagome said, "Mom, Grandpa, I really don't know what to say, except _thank you_."

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

Kagome and Inuyasha were climbing into bed; they were headed back to the feudal era tomorrow and wanted to get some sleep before then. There would be no 'marital relations,' as Kagome's mom put it, because they both unconsciously came to the same conclusion: yes, technically, they were now husband and wife, yet neither of them would _feel_ married until the ceremony in the feudal era. That's where their life was, after all and until then, they were just content to lay in each other arms. Well, mostly content…. **(A/N: This next part may seem like I found it in the gutter or something, but please, stick with me – I'll explain it at the end….)**

Kagome was snuggled with her back against Inuyasha's chest when she felt something poking her on the outside of her left thigh. Trying and failing to suppress a grin, she asked, "Uh, Inuyasha, what is that?" Inuyasha's nose was buried in her hair yet again – it was his favorite position – so his reply was slightly muffled, but she could tell he was smiling. "Keh, it's Tetsusaiga, I swear." Kagome just turned around enough to give him a peck on the nose and laugh. "Just a few more days, dog-boy."

She turned around and both of them settled back into their previous positions. "'Night, 'Gome." She just smiled and snuggled a bit closer to him. "Hmm, goodnight, my Inuyasha."

**-.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.- -.-**

**Man, I have a thing for leaving it off when they go to sleep, huh? Anyway, if you're wondering about that whole 'Tetsusaiga' thing, it's a play on an Stargate: SG-1 episode. For the SG-1 fans like me out there, you'll probably recognize it with no problem, but it's the one where they find the Antarctic gate – you know, when Jack and Sam are caught in that glacier? The whole 'It's my sidearm, I swear' scene? For some reason, changing that line to 'It's Tetsusaiga, I swear' just popped into my head and wouldn't go away…. **

**The next chap will be a songfic, and I really don't think any of you will recognize the song, but if you do, PLEASE let me know in your review. It'd be great to find some fans of this singer who aren't in this area…or more fans period. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only die-hard fan of this singer. Some of my friends like some of their songs, but none are as much of a fan as I am. Anyway, like I said earlier, it might be a while before I get the next (and last!) chap out, because I simply want to make it REALLY, REALLY good – to not only honour Inuyasha, but the singer of the song as well. Dai!**

**Trekker**

**P.S. This story chap was nearly 5,000 words and almost 12 pages…That's just the story! Oh, and BTW, once this fic is finished, it will be the second multi-chap fic I've finished. Yay me! …………Wow…I just soundly scarily like London Tipton……if you know who that is _and_ you're into Inuyasha, that's almost just as scary. LOL**

**P.P.S. I know I've probably made Sango a little OOC throughout this fic with all the squealing, but the page breaks from the last chap didn't work out like I planned, so I wanted to try again. I think it worked….**

**P.P.P.S. Last one, I promise! LOL Anyway, just curious – does anyone know what 'P.S.' actually stands for? I do, I'm just curious if anyone else does.**


	5. Chapter 5

Kag to Inu after their wedding when he asks her if it's actually happened – "You better believe it has, buster, 'cause you're stuck with me now

_**Hi all!**_

_**…gulp…I'm so sorry, guys. I didn't realize it had been a year since I had uploaded the last chapter…which was also pretty bad... But anyway, I finally got the inspiration to finish it, so here's the last chapter of **_**Why?.**

_**Trekker**_

_**Disclaimer: **_**I own no part of the series Inuyasha.**

_**-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-**_

**Why?**

**Chapter 5**

The night ended far too quickly for Inuyasha. It seemed to him that he had no later put his head on Kagome's pillow and fallen asleep than the sun had some through the window, as if yelling, '_I'm up! Time to get up, lazy butt!_'

He _**really**_ didn't want to move.

Laying here, with Kagome curled up against him, his arms around her…it was _great_. It would have been perfect…if it wasn't for the scent of the air that still permeated Kagome's room, no matter how much she tried to rid the place of it. The Sunset Shrine was better than the city by far, but the scents of pollution and too many people in too small of a place still hung in the air here, making him long for the fresh air of home.

Kagome shifted in his arms, calling his attention back to her. She turned over to face him.

"Mmh, hey," she said, her voice low from sleep. "Good morning."

"Good morning, beautiful," said Inuyasha, smiling. Kagome blushed.

"Okay…who are you and what have you done with Inuyasha?" she asked, staring at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Can't I complement my wife?"

"Well, no…" she said, smiling. "It's just that, well, you're…_you_. You don't just out-right complement people like that, much less smile first thing in the morning." He smirked.

"Maybe I just feel like it, eh? Maybe you're not just 'people' to me. In any case, we're one night closer to being _official_," he said, the smirk still firmly in place. "So how can I not smile?"

Kagome blushed again and gave him a playful shove, knocking him onto his back. "Hentai," she said, but smiled as she got up.

"I'm gonna grab a shower, then we can pack and go back, okay?"

Inuyasha just raised a hand lazily in acknowledgement; Kagome shook her head and walked out of the room, closing the door on her way.

_**-1234567890-1234567890-**_

By the time Kagome took her shower and packed, making sure to place the rings for Miroku and Sango in a safe part of her bag, it was almost noon. Her mom insisted on having them stay a little bit longer for lunch, enticing Inuyasha with the promise of more ramen. It worked, needless to say, so the duo arrived back in the Feudal Era shortly after noon.

As soon as their feet hit the soil outside of the well, a reddish ball of fur bounded toward them, catching Kagome in the stomach.

"Oof," she said, grateful for Inuyasha's supportive hand on her back. "Easy, Shippou. You're not so little anymore."

"Sorry," the kit said, looking up at her. "I'm just glad you two are back. I missed you two so much! Sango, Miroku, and Kaede have missed you, too. Oh, and Kirara!"

"Well then, we'd better not keep them waiting. Let's go!" said Kagome, giggling as Shippou scampered up onto her shoulder.

As Inuyasha reached down to pick up her bag with one hand, she reached back and grabbed his free hand, pulling him with her as she broke into a sprint along the path to the village.

_**-1234567890-1234567890-**_

Sango and Miroku were visiting Kaede; Kirara sunning herself on patch of sunlight streaming in through the window. The sounds of running feet and laughter coming closer to Kaede's hut drew their attention to the door.

Before they could make a move to step outside and investigate, the heavy bamboo and wool mat was thrown aside, letting a laughing Kagome, Shippou, and Inuyasha fall through, landing in a heap.

Their faces were flushed and their breathing heavy. Miroku cleared his throat.

"Ah-hem."

Inuyasha and Kagome froze.

Shippou hopped off of them, still as full of energy as a firecracker.

"Miroku! Sango! Inuyasha and Kagome are back!"

Miroku chuckled. "We can see that, Shippou."

The young kit went over to the neko youkai, who was now awake, having had her sleep disturbed by their entrance moments earlier.

"Hey, Kirara – wanna go play outside?" Shippou asked.

The neko mewr'd her assent. Kit-sitting was getting a little old, she mused. She'd be glad when he could watch over himself. But for now, it gave her something to do. And besides, there was more sun___outside_ than in, so it was a pretty good trade-off.

After the energetic kit and guardian neko left the hut, three pairs of eyes turned to the two newcomers who had untangled themselves from each other and were sitting side-by-side, both with slight red tints to their faces.

"So," said Kaede, breaking the silence. "How are ye?"

"We're fine, baabaa," Inuyasha answered gruffly, earning him an elbow in the ribs.

"What?"

Kagome glared at him.

"I'd say we're better than fine, baka," she said. "Or did you forget about last night?"

That caught everyone's attention and – as usual – brought perverted thoughts to Miroku's mind. But before he could give voice to those thoughts, a flash of sunlight caught Sango's attention more than what Kagome just said.

"Kagome," she said. "What's that on your hand?"

"Huh?"

Kagome looked down at her hands. The only thing there was her grandmother's – well, now her own – wedding ring.

"Oh, this?" she asked, holding her hand out for Sango to look at. "It's a wedding ring."

"A wedding ring?" Sango repeated, holding Kagome's left hand to see the ring better.

"Yeah. It's kinda like the human version of a youkai's mate mark. It's one half of a set – a matched set – and the other person you're married holds the other half. Not only are they a physical representation of a marriage, but they also tell other humans without words that you're taken. Most will abide by it, but there are always exceptions to the rules."

Sango let go of Kagome's hand with a quiet "Wow."

Kagome glanced over at Kaede and Miroku. Kaede had her typical pleasant smile on her face – no need to worry there, but Miroku…he had one of his trademark smirks on his face.

"So," said the monk. "If those rings are to symbolize marriage, and both you and Inuyasha are wearing one, does that mean you two…?"

His open-ended question was met with red-faces and a slayer's angry fist. Surprisingly, Miroku wasn't knocked out by the hit.

_Either Sango's getting soft, or the lech is growing immune. Either way, it's just sad…very sad…_mused Inuyasha.

"Yes, we are married," said Kagome. Miroku's grin widened.

"In the future."

Everyone's faces turned to confusion.

"Neither of us felt right doing anything until we were married here."

She looked at Inuyasha, who met her gaze, then cast his own amber gaze on the eldest person in the hut.

"Kaede-obaa-chan," he said, raising eyebrows across the room at his respectful tone. "Would you please perform the ceremony?"

Kaede held the hanyou's gaze for a mere moment before nodding.

"Aye. I would be honored."

A gasp from Sango brought their attentions back to her and broke the solemn mood that had descended.

"Kaede, Kagome," she said, eyes alight with excitement. "What if there was only one ceremony, instead of two?"

Kagome locked eyes with the slayer, understanding passing between them.

"Kaede," said the younger miko, turning her eyes to the elder. "What do you think?"

Kaede simply smiled.

_**-1234567890-1234567890-**_

A week later found Kagome and Sango inside Kaede's hut, helping each other dress in formal kimonos. Sango tightened the bow on Kagome's obi and stepped back.

"How's that?"

Kagome turned to face her friend, brushing out imagined wrinkles from the fabric of her dress.

"It's fine, Sango. I'm just glad you can tie these things…how you're supposed to do something that intricate with your hands behind your back, I'll never know."

Sango laughed.

"I may have been a female taijya, but I _was_ a girl once – my mom made sure that I was taught everything a wife would need to know."

The elder girl looked at the younger.

"You look beautiful, Kagome."

"So do you, Sango; though I still can't believe the women here made these for us..."

_**12345Flashback54321**_

_The previous night had found Kagome and Sango waiting in Kaede's hut for the elder miko to return from a few late errands. The boys – Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippou – were staying the night in a separate hut, as was proper for the night before the ceremony._

_Kaede soon returned to the hut, but she wasn't alone. Following her was a group of half a dozen women from the village, two of whom carried packages._

"_Kaede! You're back!" _

_Kagome and Sango got up to greet the miko and her guests. The two women holding packages stepped forward at Kaede's nod and handed the gifts to Kagome and Sango. The miko and taijya looked at the elder miko in confusion. Kaede nodded again to them._

"_They are for ye – go ahead and open them."_

_Kagome and Sango took the packages handed to each of them and gently opened them. Gasps issued from both girls when the contents were revealed. Both parcels contained a beautiful, handsewn, formal kimono._

_Both were mostly white, but they differed in their edging and accent colors. Sango's was edged in a deep green that faded into the white; the obi was the same dark green as the edging. Delicate embroidery in white and dark pink drew patterns of falling leaves and blooming blossoms._

_Kagome's had a similar pattern, only her color was a deep gray-blue instead of green. Her embroidery – in white and a brilliantly bright pink – depicted the Goshinboku in full blossom while her obi was the darkest blue of the hemming._

_Both girls were stunned silent for a moment; Sango found her voice first._

"_These are beautiful, Kaede-sama."_

"_Yes, thank you, Kaede," added Kagome._

_Kaede shook her head. _

"_It is not I you should be thanking – rather the women of the village; they are the ones who put so much work into your kimonos for tomorrow."_

_Kagome and Sango turned to the village women present in the hut and repeated their praises. The women merely said that the kimonos were a small gift of appreciation for all that the miko and taijya had done over the years. After that, the women left, leaving Kaede, Sango, and Kagome to themselves for the night._

_**12345End Flashback54321**_

"So, are you ready for this?"

Kagome turned to Sango, waiting for her answer. The other girl took a deep breath and exhaled.

"No."

Sango caught Kagome's eye and both burst into laughter.

"Neither am I, but I suppose we shouldn't leave the guys hanging."

The bamboo curtain at the entrance was nudged aside to let in a kitten-sized Kirara. Sango looked down at her friend.

"Are they ready for us, Kirara?"

"Mewr."

Sango looked back at Kagome.

"I guess that's a yes. Shall we?"

_**-1234567890-1234567890-**_

Outside, Kaede stood with her back to the Goshinboku, Miroku to her right and Inuyasha to her left. Inuyasha shifted his weight, uncomfortable in front of the gathered well-wishers.

"Damn, how long does it take to throw on some new clothes?"

Miroku merely smiled at his friend.

"Be patient, Inuyasha. The girls simply wish to look their best for us, as we have done for them. They will be here soon."

"Feh."

Inuyasha folded his arms into his sleeves and looked out over the crowd. Once the idea of a single ceremony had gotten into the girls' heads, there was no stopping them. Courtesy of Hachi, invitations had been sent to nearly everyone they had met on their travels – and most of them were in attendance.

Jinenji and his mother were there, right next to Shiori and her mother. The sister shinobi sat near Botan and Momiji. Off to the other side was Nazuna from the temple, Souten from the thunder-demon tribe…and that annoying pest of a dragon that followed her around.

Even his imperial, high-and-mighty brother, Sesshoumaru, had deigned to show his face with Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un by his side. Inuyasha had a feeling that the small group being there had more to do with Rin wanting to come than his brother wanting to come. He smirked. The older that girl got, the more control she had over the taiyoukai.

The people in the back of the crowd began to rise from their seats as Inuyasha and Miroku came to attention and faced the aisle-way between the two seating sections.

_**-1234567890-1234567890-**_

Kirara was the first thing to be seen; she had transformed into her tiger-cat form and her coat had been beautifully brushed until it gleamed. However, the fire-cat was quickly forgotten once the two figures she was escorted were seen.

Kagome stood on Kirara's right, her left hand on the neko's mane while the right held a simple bouquet of early blooming flowers. Sango mirrored Kagome's position on Kirara's left.

As they walked up the aisle, Miroku and Inuyasha couldn't take their eyes off the women. Stopping in front of Kaede (and the still staring men), Kirara gave a short, soft growl and shook her shoulders. Kagome and Sango stepped forward and took the hands of their grooms – Inuyasha's right and Miroku's left, respectively. Her job done, Kirara turned and walked back over to Shippou, sitting down beside the kit.

As the couples stepped forward and knelt with their hands still joined, facing Kaede, the elder miko smiled at them.

"Ye have been through many trials and troubling times to reach this point. The mere fact that ye have survived together until now is proof of your longevity and your care for one another. Please raise your hands."

Kaede motioned to either side of her, calling forward two young girls. One girl stepped in front of each couple and pulled out a deep crimson ribbon. As the girls bound the clasped hands of each couple together with the ribbons, Kaede explained.

"These ribbons symbolize both the blood that ye have shed for one another and the love that ye share. They are a physical representation of the bonds that have already been forged in the harshest fires and refined in the sweetest moments."

Kaede smiled again as the two girls stepped back.

"Rise, my friends. With myself and the rest of your friends as witnesses, ye are now husband and wife."

The two couples seemed to be stuck – they just stood there, staring at one another.

"Well? What are ye men waiting for? Go on – kiss your brides!"

Kaede's words broke whatever spell had cast itself on the two couples and they sealed their marriages with a kiss.

As the tentative 'first' kisses deepened, the air was filled with shouts, cheers, catcalls, and even a wolf-whistle or two.

_**-1234567890-1234567890-**_

Later that night, the two couples were seated to the outside edge of the large crowd of partygoers – formally known as wedding guests. Kagome and Sango had changed out of their formal silk kimonos and into more suitable cloth ones. Inuyasha and Miroku had changed as well, back into their normal attire.

Inuyasha leaned back against a tree, Kagome comfortably seated in his lap. Miroku sat nearby with Sango tucked in next to him, her head on his shoulder and his unbound right hand around her waist.

Kagome held one of Inuyasha's hands in both of hers, playing with his claws.

"Ya know," she said, dropping his hand back down in her lap, where his other hand was around her waist.

"If someone had told me four years ago that I'd be living five hundred years in the past, married to a half-demon, and have two of the best friends a girl could ask for – who happened to get married the same day…I'd have told them they were crazier than my jii-chan."

"Agreed, Kagome," said Miroku. Kagome had forced him to drop the '-sama' via Sango. "I wouldn't have thought I'd be free of my family's curse four years ago, much less married to such a beautiful woman."

The last was said with a look to Sango, causing her to blush. Sango turned her mind away from the look she was getting…she would deal with _that_ later.

"Four years ago, the slayer's village was full of life, laughter…people."

Sango bowed her head; Miroku put his other arm around her.

"Now we have the chance to start an entire new generation of slayers – am I right, my dear?"

Sango just rolled her eyes at Miroku's words and laid her head back down on his shoulder as all eyes turned to Inuyasha.

"Keh. You all know where I was four years ago – still stuck to that damn tree."

"And now you're stuck with _me_."

Inuyasha smirked as he looked down at Kagome and tightened his grip around her waist.

"Damn right – that's one spell that isn't gonna be broken."

_**-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-1234567890-**_

_**Well, I think that's it. I know – it's about daggone time, eh? I'm not entire happy with the ending, but lemme know what you guys think. And stay tuned for more new chaps on my other fics!**_

_**Trekker**_


End file.
